Your Love
by Johnny Devlyn
Summary: Kate needs comforting and Castle is willing to do ANYTHING to help a friend. Caskett smut. Plot may eventually develop, but not soon.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so right after I post on another story that I'm a prude, this naughty little piece came together so easily I decided to type it up. I held on to it for a while, because I am still prudish. And then I thought I could actually have a plot after the three (or more) straight chapters of nothing but gratuitous sex scenes. So please! Don't read it if you can't take it (or if you're underage).**

**It's definitely OOC. I apologize in advance, but did I already mention 'gratuitous sex'? Hopefully that will make up for the OOC-ness.**

**Additional notes: Fake case, based on an idea I made up (Kate had to have a reason to be upset so that Castle would have a reason to be "comforting"). Set sometime in the future, so neither is dating anyone (I don't like the 'cheater' stories, but that's just me. And I didn't want to take the effort to get rid of Josh, whom no one likes anyway). Title is from an 80s song, bet you can't guess which one! ;-) I love the 80s! Hmm… anything else? No? I guess you can go ahead and read the boring part after my fascinating, well thought out author's note. :-D**

"I just wanna use your love tonight  
>I don't wanna lose your love tonight." - The Outfield<p>

Rick knew she'd had a hard day. The case they'd just closed had been physically and emotionally draining. The victim had been the parent of Kate's best friend in college. And then Kate had had to fight a girl she'd considered a sister when the killer decided she didn't want to go to jail. Rick could only guess that Kate's biggest torment right now- aside from participating in the incarceration of a friend- was that even though Kate had considered the woman a sister, she'd had no idea of the torment and abuse her friend had suffered throughout her entire life. So Kate was not only mourning the death of a woman she'd once loved, she was dealing with the pain and hatred that went along with discovering child abuse.

So Castle was there- at her front door- to offer a couple different forms of comfort: chocolate, chocolate ice cream- as well as strawberry and vanilla- vodka and himself. She could talk to him- if she wished- and he would simply listen.

Rick took a deep breath and knocked. It took a long moment before the door opened, and Rick was sure she'd taken the time to look through the peephole- he'd even smiled, assuming she'd check.

The door swung slowly and Kate leaned against the frame. Rick noted her eyes were red and a little puffy, but dry. "What do you-"

Kate broke off when Castle hefted one of the grocery bags he held and pushed it into her arms.

"Castle?" she snapped, turning to glare at him when he pushed past her into her apartment.

He raised the other bag he still held and just said, "These are going to melt unless we freeze them. Or eat them."

Kate left the front door open and approached Castle, holding out the bag. "I can appreciate what you're trying to do for me Castle, but I can assure it, it's not necessary."

Rick didn't even glance at the proffered bag, but informed her, "Necessary or not, I'm here. And you're not getting rid of me."

Both of them were sure Kate could get rid of him if she wanted to, but Rick had accurately guessed that she wouldn't have the energy or the heart to do it. She sighed in defeat, lowering her arm and the bag. "If you're here to annoy me-"

"I'm not," Rick said, cutting her off. "I'm just here. For whatever you want me for."

Kate sighed once more and held up the bag again. Rick took it this time, knowing she'd let him stay. She closed and locked the front door, while Castle headed to the kitchen to hunt down bowls, spoons and martini glasses.

When Kate entered the kitchen, several pints of ice cream, whip cream, vodka and chocolates were spread out over the table.

Rick gestured with his hands, indicating the array, and told her, "Pick your poison."

"What is all this?"

"Comfort food," Castle replied, an unspoken 'duh' in his tone.

Kate snorted a brief, sarcastic laugh. "You really thought any of this would make me feel better? That chocolates and-" Kate grimaced in disgust at the combination- "Vodka would really cheer me up?"

"No," Rick replied lightly, even smiling a little. "Nothing can make you feel better right now. I know that."

"Gee, thanks for the pep talk," she grumbled.

"_But_. I can try to distract you. Just for a little while. Whatever you want me to do, I'm here. If you want to talk, I'll listen. And if you want me to sit down, shut up and serve the ice cream, I can do that too."

Kate's mouth twitched into an almost smile. "Sit down and shut up then." Kate sat then too and added, "I haven't seen it happen yet. I'm curious to see if you're even capable of sitting silently."

Rick smiled sarcastically at her, but kept his mouth shut- for once. He motioned toward the ice cream and when Kate indicated the flavor she wanted, Rick tore off the top, stuck a spoon right into the desert, and pushed the whole tub toward Kate.

And despite the sadness Castle could see behind her expression, Kate did smile at him.

She dug out a spoonful of chocolate ice cream and said, "Thanks, Castle."

For a long time, the two sat silently, nursing their ice cream- Castle's topped by a generous portion of whip cream.

Eventually, Kate commented, "The silence _has_ to be killing you."

Rick shook his head. "I don't _always_ have to be talking, you know."

"Could have fooled me," Kate teased half-heartedly.

He smiled in acknowledgement of her joke. "I can talk if you want me to. Did you want to talk about something?"

She shook her head. "I _am_ a little surprised that you're not bombarding me with questions, though."

"If I were you," Castle mused. "I wouldn't have anything figured out at this point, so the last thing I'd want is a nosey writer asking tons of questions."

"Smart man," Kate observed, a bit gratefully.

"I have my moments," Castle agreed.

Kate's mouth twitched again into an almost smile, but she didn't reply and the pair lapsed again into silence. Rick stood then, grabbing two glasses from the counter and filling them with ice. Then he covered the ice with straight vodka and set one glass in front of Kate. Rick took his drink back to his chair, and then held it out to her.

Kate stared at the cup for a long moment and Rick could see she was debating whether or not to drink it. But before he could say anything to encourage her, she picked up her glass, tapped the rim to Castle's cup and downed a good quarter of the drink.

The temperature and the burn of the alcohol made Kate's whole body tremble violently.

"I shouldn't drink too much," Kate mused, even as she took another, more sedate sip from the glass. "I've got work in the morning."

"Montgomery gave you the day off," Rick reminded her sternly.

"And what would I do all day? Drink? That sounds healthy," Kate said sarcastically. "At least at work I can be productive."

"You can take a day to deal with what happened to you," Rick insisted.

"I'm fine. I only got a couple of bruises."

"But emotionally-"

Kate cut him off. "I thought you were here to distract me. Not _depress_ me."

"You need to _deal_ with this, Kate."

Her eyes flashed fire and she snapped, "You think I didn't go through all the grief counseling when my mother died? I know the steps of grieving and right now, I just-" she broke off then, frustrated. Her hands pushed through her hair and she shoved the locks back. She stood then and turned to the sink, rinsing off her spoon. Kate then took the still nearly full ice cream tub to the freezer as she said, "I really don't want to talk about it right now, Castle."

"Okay," he quickly agreed, standing also and turning to face her. "I'm sorry. Whatever you do want from me, I'm here."

Kate turned to look up at him and reiterated, "Whatever I want?"

Rick swallowed hard and fought to hide his body's usual response to her nearness.

The scent of her always got to him and now she was looking up at him- he noticed she was shorter without her heels on- with her big eyes red rimmed and her face scrubbed free of makeup. But Rick still thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. And she was saying something he'd only ever heard her say in his fantasies. He wondered if she meant what he hoped she meant or if she was totally unaware of the effect her words were having on him.

"Of course," he finally answered.

Kate's gaze lowered to his mouth and her pink tongue peeked out to moisten her lips. "I want you to distract me," she said quietly.

"What?" Castle asked. He took a breath, knowing Kate couldn't possibly mean that the way it had sounded. He cleared his throat before he could say, "Distract you how?"

Kate took one step forward and she was suddenly in his personal space, her body close enough that her robe-covered breasts brushed against his chest. "However you'd like."

He stared, shocked, into her eyes for a long moment, trying to determine if she really wanted what she seemed to be asking of him. What he saw must have encouraged him, because his hand came up to cup the back of her head and his mouth came down on hers. His other hand went to the small of her back and pressed her body against him. Quickly, Kate took over the kiss, tilting her head to get better access to Castle's mouth. Her hands came up to clutch his head, pulling his mouth harder down on her own. It was almost a bruising kiss but it only made them feel more urgency.

Both of his hands swept down her body then to lift her by her rear end. So Kate hopped a little and wrapped her arms and legs around him, rising up over him as he held her, to come down hard on his mouth.

Rick turned to the table, removing one of his hands from her round backside only long enough to sweep some things across the table. He set her down then and pushed her back, leaning over her on the table to continue kissing her.

Rick's hands moved to the belt of Kate's robe and pulled, quickly untying the knot and opening the lapels. He hadn't really thought about it until now, afraid of where his fantasies would take him, but if he had, he'd have assumed Kate was wearing at least a night gown under her robe. But to find out now, that she'd been naked under the dressing gown this whole time had him instantly hard.

Kate slipped her arms from the sleeves of her robe then pulled Castle's t-shirt from his pants and tried removing it. Rick stood long enough to pull the garment over his head, then returned his attention to Kate's mouth. Until he got distracted anyway, by the journey his hands were making up and down her torso.

Rick began kissing his way down her neck to her chest, but apparently he was moving too slow for Kate. Her hands went to his belt and pulled, yanking his body closer to hers. The belt was thrown to the floor and his pants soon followed, Kate using her feet to push his jeans down faster.

Kate used her hand then to guide his arousal into her body and he began to press into her but then he stopped.

"Kate," he gasped, trying to reason though his mind was focused on how hot she felt against the tip him. "Slow down."

"No," she argued, using her legs around his waist to pull him closer. "Take me. Do it."

"Are you sure…"

"Do I look unsure?"

"No, but-"

"Please, Castle. I want this right now. Just distract me, please. I don't want to think tonight, I just want to feel good."

Rick straightened up then, standing in the circle of her legs and staring down at her body. "I think I can do that," he said, his eyes on her rapidly rising and falling breasts.

"Yes," she agreed breathlessly.

Castle grasped her hips then and pressed inside her body. All his many fantasies about Kate failed to live up to the real thing as he stood there for a moment, simply enjoying the feel of her hot, tight body wrapped around him. Looking down at her, displayed before him, he pulled away and then slammed back into her, watching her body arch and writhe. And just to see her arch her back like that again, he pulled out of her as far as he could without leaving her completely, and thrust back home again. Kate's body arched up off the table this time, and Castle's hands were there for her to press into. He palmed her breasts in his excitement, then molded his hands to the perfect round shape of them. He swept his thumbs over the sensitive tips and watched her squirm.

Kate looked up at him and snapped, "Stop playing with me and take me already."

Rick grinned and asked, "Can't I do both?"

"Just make me feel good. I don't care what else you do."

She rolled her eyes at his impish smile. Bracing a knee up on the table beneath her, Rick quickly began moving his hips in and out of her, making her moan rather loudly, even as he leaned over her and took the peak of one breast into his mouth. A hand slid between their bodies and he began playing with her most sensitive spot as he continued stroking his tongue over her breast with the same frantic pace. And all the while, Kate's hips moved with his, meeting each thrust and intensifying the pleasure for both of them.

Rick had to slow this down or he wasn't going to last much longer. His hips slowed, his mouth moved to taste the cords of her neck and Kate whimpered.

"No. Don't stop," she pleaded breathlessly. "Take me, please. Take me."

"I won't last-" he began, but Kate cut him off.

"Me either. I don't want to last, I want-" she gasped when Rick slammed into her again and began thrusting into her at a frantic pace. "To-" Kate tried to finish her sentence, but Rick's fingers were moving on her again and his mouth came crashing down on her own. Her hips moved to meet each frantic thrust, adding to each movement and sensation. Kate tore her mouth away from his to vocalize her pleasure, panting, whimpering or moaning every time he thrust into her. The tension in her body was coiling tighter and tighter and she moved her hips faster, prompting him to pick up the pace.

"So good," she gasped between cries of pleasure. "So… so good!"

Rick groaned in acknowledgment and gasped, "Good." And then he slowed just a little to make the next few thrusts deep instead of just fast.

Kate rocked her body with his motion, allowing him in deeper and harder and loudly cried out her pleasure. Her hands had been clutching his shoulders, but just then she moved to scrape her nails over his flat male nipples and his body jerked in surprise. When she began playing with them, Rick moved to kiss her mouth, swirling his tongue with hers as he picked up the frantic pace again.

Kate was soon crying out, her body shattering around him, and Rick's low groans joined with her sounds to make some of the naughtiest music Rick had ever heard. Her shuddering body squeezed around him and brought him to his own climax just seconds after hers.

Rick collapsed on top of her and Kate's fingertips dug into his back as she held onto him. They held each other for a long time, reveling in the blissful waves of pleasure still rolling through their bodies.

**Please tell me if I should keep my pervy thoughts to myself or if I should type up the next few scenes of nothing but more Caskett smut. (Why do I even ask, I already know the answer. I guess I just want reviews. PS: The next chapter won't be posted unless I get them. :-D … but honestly, I want to know about the welcome-ness of the smut.)**


	2. Chapter 2

It was a long time before she pushed him away and Rick mourned the loss of her warmth when he finally slipped out of her body. Rick stood over her and held his hands out to help her sit up. Kate allowed him to pull her up, but removed her hands from his grasp so she could stretch, ruffling her hair at the back of her head as she did.

Rick just watched as her arms rose above her head and her body bent backwards. And as she came out of her stretch, he moved, wrapping his arms around her body and kissing her deeply. But when her skin adhered to his, the stick feel of their bodies made her grimace.

Kate pushed him away and said, "Ew, sticky!" when their skin didn't want to come apart immediately. She hopped down from the table and moved toward her bedroom, calling back, "I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay," he replied, attempting to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Every time he'd imagined having sex with Kate, he'd always assumed they'd spend the rest of the night just holding each other, but now it looked like he was being dismissed. Before he could ponder whether or not his disappointment made him feel like a clingy little girl, Kate stopped on the bottom step and turned back to look at him.

"Are you coming?" she asked, though she managed to hide her own preference whether he did or not and simply asked the question.

So he grinned impishly and said, "I already did."

Kate rolled her eyes at him out of habit, before cocking an eyebrow and asking, "Would you like to come again?"

His eyes swept over her as she stood there, one foot on the first stair, and like a good little boy, he said, "Yes please." Which made her smile. Rick returned the smile and said, "I'll just straighten up in here a little bit and then I'll join you."

Kate nodded then turned away and Rick watcher her as she went. She was just as confident totally naked as she was in her heels and professional wear, probably because her naked body was as stunning- more so?- as her clothed body. But wait... was there something on her shoulder blade? He wondered, and before he could make it out, she was out of sight, inside her bedroom.

Rick quickly put away the ice cream, but left anything that wouldn't spoil where it sat. He grabbed his clothes, threw them over a chair then hurried to the bathroom to find his pretty detective.

She was nowhere to be seen, but he could hear her moving about inside the already steaming shower. He hesitated only a second before pushing aside the curtain and stepping inside with Kate. Her eyes were closed but she was facing him as she stood under the water, washing soap from her hair. When that was done, she looked up at Rick for only a second before moving out of his way to let him stand under the water.

But as soon as he touched the water, he pulled back and cried, "Ow!"

Kate snorted a very unladylike laugh but then told Rick in a rather low, sexy voice, "I like it _hot_."

"I just wasn't expecting it to be scalding," he practically whined, making Kate smile.

"You can turn it down if you want," she said, obviously laughing at him.

"I was just surprised," he insisted before scrunching up his face- hiding the expression from Kate of course- and stepping into the water. It was hot enough to quickly turn his skin pink, but it wasn't nearly as hot as he'd initially thought and he quickly adjusted. He ducked his head under the stream of water and then began looking around for soap.

As Kate worked conditioner into her hair, she saw him looking around. "Here," she said, reading for her shampoo and handing it to Castle, who popped the top and gave an experimental sniff.

His nose scrunched up and he complained, "I'm going to smell like girl."

Kate stepped around him, back into the water and argued, "As if you don't smell girlier than I do half the time. How many different products do you _use_?" She added pointedly, playfully teasing.

Despite his protests, Rick squeezed some of the fruity scented soap into his hand and was rubbing it into his hair when he teased in return, "Have you been _smelling_ me, Detective?"

She cocked an eyebrow and informed him, "It's not like I have to try too hard, Rick."

They traded places yet again and Rick rinsed the suds out of his hair as Kate turned and began soaping her body. When he was done, Rick studied the back her as she washed up. He saw the little bit of color again on her shoulder blade and moved her hair aside to get a better look. A pretty little butterfly was drawn there, etched into her skin. But as he studied the design, he saw the sharp looking edges and points hidden within the design along with blood red droplets and the grinning skull it had for a face. He almost took back the assessment he'd made that it was pretty. But after another moment, he decided that it still had a dangerous sort of beauty. _Much like my pretty, dangerous Detective Beckett_, he mused.

Rick put a fingertip on the design, tracing it, as he asked, "What's this?"

Kate sighed, but answered, "A stupid mistake I made when I was twenty and working in a tattoo parlor."

"You worked in a tattoo parlor?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah, right after I bought my motorcycle but before I worked at the bondage shop. I didn't work there long, though. The guys were annoyed that I wouldn't let them tatt me up like they wanted. Said it undermined their artistic craft to have a receptionist who didn't display the artwork."

Rick took all this in, stunned. When Kate finally glanced back at him, his mouth formed the words, "Bondage shop?" But his throat had constricted and no sound came out.

Kate smirked, but hid the expression from him as she turned away again. She bent forward to begin soaping her legs and continued chatting casually. "Yeah, that was a fun job too. I got to wear all the costumes I wanted, so long as I let the customers get close up looks at them."

Rick stared down at her rear end pointed at him, even as he imagined her clothed in some of the outfits they'd seen the one time they'd gone to a bondage shop together. His favorite image by far- even more than the black leather body suit, though that was a good one too- was the image of her in a short, pleated skirt, knee socks and a tiny white top. Slutty-school-girl-Kate had to have been sexy as hell.

"Who knew selling clothes would have been such a hands-on process?" Kate continued talking, seemingly unaware of the physical affect she was having on Rick. When she stood up straight again, Rick stepped forward, plastering his body to the back of her. "Yeah, just like that," she seemingly agreed, gasping when she felt his arousal press along her lower back. His arms slid around her then, one hand moving to press against her lower abdomen, the other taking the bar of soap from her. Both hands began moving over her stomach as he spread suds over her skin, memorizing the contours of her front side and Kate's body arched as she leaned back into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Rick pressed a kiss just below her ear and she raised her arms to grasp the back of his head and hold him close.

Rick looked down her body, his head hanging over her shoulder, as he finally brought the bar of soap up and dragged it across her breasts. His free hand followed where the other led, massaging the soap into her skin, until he finally just dropped the soap, giving up the pretense of doing anything other than fondling her breasts. But as one hand continued cupping her and squeezing her, the other began moving down.

Kate moaned aloud as his hand slid between her legs and began stroking her, but she was quickly gasping and Rick couldn't take anymore. He stepped away from her so that he could turn her around and kiss her and immediately, Rick moved toward her, invading her personal space with his big body, pressing her back against the wall of the shower. Kate met him eagerly in the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck even as he leaned down a bit to wrap his hand around her leg, just behind her knee. He lifted the long limb, draping it over his hip before he urgently began pressing into her. Though he might have worried normally that he was moving too fast, yet again, Kate reassured him unknowingly when she used that leg around his waist to guide him all the way into her body.

They both groaned at the same time when Rick was filling her body once more and they took a long moment to simply hold still and examine the delicious sensations created by their intimate connection.

Kate clung to his shoulders, needing the support of his body in the slippery shower though it gave her the opportunity to press sweet kisses to his shoulder and neck. When her mouth was right on his ear, Kate gasped and said, "Oh, Rick, you feel so good." Then she ran her tongue along the cords of his neck, tasting of the water on his skin.

In response to her words, Rick didn't speak but slowly pulled out of her body to inch back in again. One hand slid up her thigh then around to cup her backside, pulling himself into her even deeper and again they both moaned.

"Kate... Kate," he began murmuring, groaning her name like an endearment. "Oh, Katie, you feel so good... So hot..."

Kate struggled to catch her breath to gain the air she needed to respond to him, but with her arms around his neck, her breasts flattened against his chest, not to mention the slow movements of his hips against hers, Kate found she couldn't even think of the words to say.

"Your body is so tight," he added, hoping that talking- even about her appealing body- would distract him enough that he wouldn't pop then and there.

Kate's wet breasts slid against his chest each time Rick pumped into her and she found it was a delicious sensation. They were _all_ delicious sensations: the thrust of his hard arousal into her soft body, the slip of her breasts against his solid chest and the tender kisses he peppered on her neck and shoulder. But the water was too thin and soon their bodies began to stick...

Kate pulled away some to reach out and take up her shampoo bottle. Opening the top with one hand, she leaned away from him to put a small drop of soap into her other hand and then she dropped the bottle with a loud thump.

Kate rubbed her hands together to make suds, then ran her hands over Rick's chest. Just for his benefit, she then turned her hands to her own body and spread some of the soapy suds on her own breasts. She watched his face as he watched her touch herself and she noticed his eyes blazing with lust, but she wanted to touch _him_, so it wasn't long before she put her arms around his neck again, pulling his chest to hers and experimenting with the slip of their soapy bodies. While her hands explored the back of him, they twisted their upper bodies this way and that as Rick continued to thrust into her, sliding her breasts against his chest as they moved.

Though 'play time' was nice and all, they quickly began to feel the urgency when Rick began thrusting into her faster. He hit a particularly sweet spot inside of her and when their mouths fell open with their gasping inhalations, Rick crushed his mouth to hers, stealing her breath completely.

Kate was close and getting closer but she wanted more. She wanted to feel his grasping hands on her body, so she finally found the words enough to gasp, "Touch me," between kisses.

Rick's hand had been on the wall, holding his body back just enough that Kate wasn't pressed too hard between him and the tile. But now, to do as she commanded, he took his hand and slipped it between their bodies, stroking her breasts though is chest was now heavy on her own.

His thumb began brushing across the tip of her breast, his hips working furiously to slam into her again and again, and he groaned. "Please tell me you're close, because I'm going to come soon," he gasped, sounding almost like he was in pain.

Kate tried again to find words, but her throat only formed whimpers of pleasure. So she nodded her head instead and began crying out as he slammed into her harder.

The frantic movement of their hips, his hand on her breast, the other on her rear end, were working together to lift her higher and higher through swirling clouds of pleasure. To add to it and make it even better, Kate crushed her mouth to his again, and that added touch was enough to send her quickly falling back through those clouds, loudly vocalizing her climax as her body convulsed around him. Rick continued thrusting, torturing her with the intense pleasure of it and her body wrung from him his own shuddering release, spilling into her body for the second time that night.

**A/N: Hmm… this chapter needed major editing, and seeing as I finished it at three in the morning (who else just LOVES insomnia?) I don't feel as though it's some of my better writing. Oh well, Shower Smut is always fun. Hope it lived up to expectations. I'm exhausted (and not in the good, shower smut way, either :-( … ;-D) Let me know if things don't make sense or if there are errors. I'm too tired to fix them now, but I promised to have this up tonight. I'm going to sleep now.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I forgot to mention, I had originally intended to entitle this one "I just wanna use your love tonight," but then I realized the name of that song was simply "Your Love" so I went with that because the first option was just too long for me. That's also why I posted the lyrics, but I never explained that, did I? Oh well.**

****There's a symbol in my story that fanfiction does NOT recognize for some stupid reason! Grr… Alexis sends a text with that 'less than' symbol then a three. It's just a text heart. Just so y'all know. **Read on…**

Rick figured he had to be crushing her, he was pressing her so hard against the wall of the shower, but he just couldn't move. He simply stood still and enjoyed the slowing contractions of her body around his as Kate clung to him, not letting him move away even if he'd wanted to. But her boneless body couldn't hold her up anymore, and when her knee buckled, he finally moved, wrapping his arms around her lower back and lifting her. He turned with her in his arms and sank to the floor of the tub, sitting with her straddling his lap. Guiding her head to rest on his shoulder, Rick held her close, sweeping his hands up and down her back, and allowing the water to wash over her skin.

Kate's arms slid up, around his neck and she simply enjoyed the feel of his hands on her body as warm tremors continued to pulse through her.

"Mmm," Rick mumbled. "Your body feels better than I ever imagined."

"I know I should be annoyed that you fantasized about me, but I know you too well, Castle. Especially after reading Heat Wave. _And_ Naked Heat."

"Did you never fantasize about me? Even once?" he asked, his tone pleading with her to be honest though he had little hope of it.

"Maybe once," she admitted grudgingly, surprising him. "Or twice."

Rick sat in stunned silence, shocked that she'd answered at all. He leaned back against the wall of the tub, keeping Kate pressed to him as he did. When they were settled, he said, "Tell me your fantasies. About me."

Kate chuckled lazily and kissed his neck. "Most of my fantasies revolve around shutting you up."

"That doesn't sound very sexy," he complained.

"It is if my method of shutting you up involves putting certain of my body parts in your mouth," she retorted in a low voice.

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," he said facetiously. "Would you care to demonstrate?"

Rick thought she smiled as she moved an arm from around his neck and then she was pressing a finger into his mouth. He caressed the digit with is tongue, lightly sucking and she began moving it in and out of his mouth in a parody of the sex act.

"Mmm," he mumbled. "Effective," he tried to add, but the word was distorted around Kate's finger.

Kate removed the digit from his mouth and sighed. "The water's getting cold," she pointed out as she slowly drew away from him. She studied his face for a long moment before informing him, "I'm getting out."

Rick nodded and said, "I still need to wash up. I'll be out in a minute."

"'Kay," she replied. Kate began to move but Rick held her in place. When she looked at him in question, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and drew her in for a tender kiss.

"I'll be quick," he added when he finally let her pull away.

"You'll be even faster if you let me out of the tub," she said impatiently, her tone just short of being rude.

Rick just smiled at her and let her go. Kate got up, rinsed really quick, and stepped out of the shower. There was silence as she dried herself and Rick finished washing. And when he heard the bathroom door open and close, he frowned.

_Kate sure ran out of here in a hurry_, he thought uneasily. He took just a little longer than he'd planned to finish his shower as he pondered- worried about- Kate's hasty exit. But he wouldn't get an answer from Kate alone in the shower, assuming of course that she'd be willing to have the 'relationship' conversation tonight at all. It _had_ been a really hard day for her... He rinsed quickly, shut off the water and got out to dry off.

But he hadn't talked to Alexis in a while so he figured he needed to check his phone before he started any serious conversations with Kate.

"I'm going to go check my phone," Rick told her. "Alexis may have called."

Kate nodded. She was standing in front of her closet, pulling on a robe when Rick exited the bedroom, but with his clothes still in the kitchen, he wandered the apartment totally naked.

Rick went and dug his phone out of his pants pocket to find a text waiting for him, about twenty minutes old now.

"Hey Dad, I'm going to bed soon. When will you be home? Is everything okay? How's Kate doing? 3"

Rick smiled, knowing her "3" emoticon heart was for Kate, not him. He'd already told Alexis about the case they'd closed that day and he'd told her about coming over to comfort Kate. Alexis had questioned the wisdom- and the welcomeness- of the gesture, but in the end they'd both agreed that Kate didn't need to be alone right now if they could help it. Although, he definitely hadn't planned on having sex with her to cheer her up, that had just been a happy accident, Rick mused.

For once, Rick didn't know what to say to his daughter. So, phone in hand, he headed toward Kate's bedroom, but stopped in the open doorway, rapped his knuckles on the frame and leaned inside. He still wasn't quite sure what he and Kate were now, so he erred on the side of politeness.

Kate looked up at him from where she sat in the middle of her big bed, wrapped in her thick robe, her knees pulled up to her chest. She gave him an incredulous look and said, "You can come in, Castle."

He stepped into the room and stood there, kind of awkwardly. "I just wanted to ask..." He ran his hand through his damp, messy hair. "Am I staying the night or am I leaving now?"

"That's up to you, Castle."

"No." He shook his head and moved closer to her bed. "I told you before, I'm here for you. Whatever you want from me. So... if you want me to stay, I'll stay. If you want me to leave..." Rick trailed off, knowing he didn't need to finish the offer, and shrugged.

Kate nodded, not necessarily in answer, staring down at her knees. She found a spot on her robe and began scratching at it with her thumbnail. She didn't look up when Rick finally continued talking.

"I need to call Alexis before she goes to bed, and I'd like to be able to tell her whether I'll be home tonight or not," he prompted, hoping he didn't sound as rude as he thought that might have been taken.

"Stay," she said so quietly, Castle almost didn't hear her. She finally looked up at him with her haunted eyes and added more clearly, "I'd like you to stay."

Rick tried to control the grin that threatened to split his face, but when Kate rolled her eyes, he knew he was caught. And Kate smiled just a little in response.

"I'm going to go call Alexis, I'll be right back," he told her happily.

"Wait!" Kate snapped before he could turn away. "You're not going to tell her..." Kate trailed off in horror.

Rick grimaced in disgust and said, "Of course not! She knows _nothing_ about my sex life except that I have one and we _both_ prefer it that way."

"Oh. Good."

Rick grinned, rolling his eyes at her, and turned to wander down the stairs and into the main room. Kate knew it would be wrong to eavesdrop, but she loved the relationship between Rick and his daughter that she only got to see occasional glimpses of. Plus, sound carried really well in that big room, so she listened.

"Hey Pumpkin," Rick began, and Kate could actually hear the love in his voice. "Kate's okay, or she will be... Yes, I'll tell her... No, I don't think I'll be home tonight. I'm going to talk her into letting me sleep over... Oh, you're doubting my immeasurable charm, are you? You don't think I'll be able to sweet talk her into letting me stay?" Rick paused for a moment and then laughed at whatever his daughter had just said, probably something disparaging, Kate guessed from the sarcastic sound of his laughter. Then he quieted and listened for another moment. "Yes, Alexis, I promise not to pester or annoy, though you know how much pleasure I usually derive from both... Okay Sweetie. Are you going to be okay tonight?... Oh, she is? Don't let her near my wine... She already did?" Rick groaned. "Just keep her away from my chateauneuf du pape, please! ... Thank you!" He listened for another moment and when he spoke again, Kate knew he was smiling sentimentally. "I love you too, Pumpkin... I'll try to call early tomorrow morning to let you know when I'll be home... Yes, I promise not to wear out my welcome... Good night, sweetheart. Sweet dreams... Bye."

When Rick reappeared in her doorway, he found Kate watching for him, a small smile on her lips.

He headed back into her room, hovering over the bed. Staring down at her, he said, "Alexis says 'Hi' and... she's sorry."

Kate managed a small smile of gratitude and pointed out the obvious, "She's a really sweet girl."

"Smart too," Rick added with a grin, bragging unabashedly.

Recalling the promise the girl had forced out of her father, not to pester or annoy, Kate agreed drily, "Yes. Very. I wonder where she gets it."

Rick smiled at her ribbing, happy that she was making jokes at all, even if they were at his expense. He pulled back the covers on one side of her bed and slid beneath them, leaning against the headboard. His face took on a more serious expression and he asked, "Are we going to talk-"

"Castle," she cut him off. "I don't know _what_ we are and now is not a good time for me to try to figure it out."

He smiled and nodded. "I know. I was going to ask if you wanted to talk about the case. About your friend. Though we'll have to have _that_ talk eventually, too."

Kate turned away to hug her knees again and said, "Neither of which I want to have tonight."

"Okay," Rick agreed easily. He began pulling her back to lean against his chest and wrapped his arms loosely around her. "What _do_ you want to do then?"

Kate leaned her head back against her shoulder and sighed. "Just this," she answered simply.

Rick nodded, even though she couldn't see it- she could feel him moving. He pressed his lips to her damp hair, inhaling deeply the scent of her shampoo. "You know," he began conversationally, resting his head against hers. "I haven't been able to smell cherries without getting turned on since I met you."

"Well," she replied in a low voice, smiling. "Cherries are a very _luscious_ fruit."

"It's not the cherries that get to me, my lovely Detective Beckett." He breathed in her scent again, his eyes closing in pleasure. "I've pictured you naked countless times now, and your cherry scent brings all those lovely images back to me every time."

"I had no idea you had such a dirty mind, Mr. Castle," she teased back.

Rick chuckled in downright disbelief. "Really?" he asked sarcastically.

Kate thought about all the books Richard Castle had written- all of which she owned- but specifically the hot sex scenes contained to about one chapter or two per book. Then she thought about the Nikki Heat books he'd penned, inspired by Kate Beckett herself. Those chapters had been borne of Castle's very active imagination, scenes he'd created in his mind of Kate and himself. Honestly, she'd have been shocked- and downright disbelieving- to hear Rick try to claim that he _hadn't_ thought about her naked. Kate finally smiled. "Fine, I knew."

"Good. I wouldn't want you to have any misconceptions about me." Rick kissed her ear and added in a low voice, "There _are_ certain benefits to my not insubstantial imagination."

Kate could already think of a few, but she wanted to see where Castle was going with this, so she feigned ignorance. "Such as?"

"My incredible story telling ability," he stated matter-of-factly.

Kate just laughed. She'd seen said ability in action and knew his words had the power to entrance any audience, even a room full of cops.

But Rick misinterpreted her laughter and asked, "You doubt me?"

Just to make him squirm- as she so often loved doing- she remained silent, smiling to herself.

"Fine, I'll prove it. I'll tell you a story."

She laughed again. "A story, Rick? You're going to tell me a story? Do I look like a child?"

"Trust me, Baby," he said in a cocky voice, even knowing she'd probably hate to be called _baby_. "No one would tell this story to a child."

"Okay," she said hesitantly, though she was positively jumping for joy on the inside. Kate _loved_ his books, she loved the stories he sometimes spun at the precinct and she loved his ability to hypnotize her simply with his words. And he was going to tell a story, just for her... It was a dream come true... not that she'd _ever_ tell Castle that. His ego was already overinflated, even without her contribution.

"Once upon a time," he began quietly, is lips at her ear. And even those innocuous words, spoken in his low, sexy voice, made her shiver. "There was a beautiful princess..."

**A/N: Mwah-ha-ha, I'm evil, I know. But Castle's sexy story will follow shortly. As soon as I type it up... (give me about an hour :-D)  
><strong>

**Sorry this chapter had no smut- even after all my promises- it's just filler but the next one will be the story Castle tells... and the results of that sexy story. (The story itself is kind of contrived, probably not very good, but... well, it ends well. :-D)**

**I got a couple people responding to my last author's note at the end of the last chapter and I just wanna say… You guys are amazing! I'm overly critical of my own work sometimes, and at three am, I just felt like the chapter was kind of rushed and not up to the usual quality I expect of myself. But… if y'all like it, I'm a happy, happy lady! (haha, to vaguely quote Castle).**

**Oh, I'm going to the optometrist tomorrow, because all of this typing has finally caught up with my eyesight. I'm probably going to need glasses! Is it weird that I'm excited about that? I can't wait! :-D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, I had forgotten how graphic this chapter gets... Maybe I should edit, tame it down a little... Eh, I warned y'all in chapter one that this was purely smut and it gets a little worse here. Well, according to my taste, anyway- and remember, I claim to be a prude. :-D I think it was late at night when I wrote this months ago...**

"Once upon a time," he began quietly, is lips at her ear. And even those innocuous words, spoken in his low, sexy voice, made her shiver. "There was a beautiful princess, with long brown hair and green eyes the color of the deepest emerald. She was taller than most men in her kingdom and her legs were so long, no man could outrun her." Rick paused to flip open one side of her robe, revealing those long legs. He put his hand on her thigh, exploring her silky skin as he continued.

"One day, a ruggedly handsome prince came to claim her hand in marriage. But this princess was strong and independent; she didn't need a man to become her king and try to rule every aspect of her life. So she went to her father, who was as besotted with her beautiful face as all the subjects of his kingdom, and she pleaded with him to let her remain a maiden. But the prince, who was the nosy sort, overheard the Princess's pleas and stepped in to offer a compromise. 'If she can beat me in a footrace,' he said. 'I'll leave your beautiful kingdom and never return. But if I win, she must marry me and service my body every night for the rest of her life.'"

Kate's jaw dropped, not expecting _that_ twist in the story. But Castle continued, "The princess quickly agreed, never doubting she'd win. But the prince knew she was fast. He knew he'd never win a fair race against the beautiful, long legged princess who'd touched his heart the moment he laid eyes on her. So he was going to convince her to _let_ him win. The prince was skilled with words, and if she'd only listen to him, he thought he could convince her that he was exactly what she needed in a husband and a king. He'd seen a passionate fire in her eyes that had already convinced him that she was exactly what _he_ wanted in a wife and a queen. So, the night before the race, he slipped out of his room to find where the princess slept. So he could talk to her.

"She was at the top of the tallest tower- of course- and when he saw her precious face, relaxed in sleep, he knew he had to have her. The prince stripped off all his clothes and slid into bed with her. When he drew her body close to his and found that she was naked as well, he knew that he'd been right about her passionate, fiery nature; most demure princesses _he_ knew, slept in concealing night dresses. But not _his_ princess. So he kissed her awake.

"The princess stirred and woke to the feel of hands on her body, an insistent tongue seeking entrance to her mouth, and a man's hard chest pressing flat her soft round breasts. The prince had expected her to resist him, to object to his sudden, uninvited presence in her bed, so he moved easily when she pushed him away from her. And then he gasped in excitement when the lovely princess climbed on top of him.

"The feel of a man's hard body against her soft one had awakened in her the burning desire to take that hardness into herself.

"The princess stretched her body out on top of his, ran her hands through his hair and clutched him tight as she kissed him. He could feel her body hot upon his, her breasts pressed to his own flat chest, and he burned to touch her. His hands slid over her back, pressing her chest closer as his tongue pressed through the seal of her closed lips. And she opened for him, moaning her pleasure as his tongue began a fight for dominance with her own. His hands swept down her body then, curving over her perfect round ass and squeezing her tight in his excitement. When her hips thrust down on his, the prince thought he'd come undone. His hands slid lower, to grasp her thighs and the next time she thrust her hips into his, he pulled he legs apart so she straddled his body. And the beautiful princess rose up to begin riding the ridge of his arousal, grinding her most sensitive spot against him to bring herself pleasure. She was already wet in her excitement and she slipped over him easily."

Rick had to take a breath, swallowed to moisten his throat and began nuzzling his nose against Kate's ear. His voice lowered even more as he continued. "The prince looked up at her exquisite face as she rode him. He wanted to see her reaction when he touched her breasts for the first time. Beginning at her hips, he slid his hands up her body. He cupped her breasts and her mouth fell open. He began sweeping his thumbs over the tips and she was gasping. He gently pinched her and she bit her lip.

"He loved watching her expressive face as he touched her breasts, but he wanted to _hear_ her too. 'How to make her moan,' he wondered."

Kate listened avidly to his story, her eyes closed, entranced by his voice, and she wanted to feel what the princess felt when her prince touched her. So she took Castle's hand from her thigh, and guided it under her robe, placing his hand on her breast. He began caressing her as he continued his story, though his voice was now a bit strained.

"With one hand he played with her breast, while the other began moving down her body. His fingers came to her center where he found her hot and wet. The prince slipped his fingertips over the most sensitive part of her, and she moaned out loud for him."

Castle's free hand snaked around her body to delve between Kate's legs and she opened for him, moaning like her fictional counterpart when his fingers began stroking her.

"The prince couldn't take much more of this torment; he wanted to bury himself inside her and feel her tight, hot body wrapped around him. When his fingers left her, the princess whimpered for the loss, but he wouldn't be leaving her bereft much longer. His hand grasped his own arousal and he used it to play with her. He slid the tip of his erection over her, using it to tease her much as his fingers had. But then he slipped too low and he was stuck. When the tip of him disappeared inside her body, he couldn't move away- he didn't _want_ to move away."

Castle's own fingers began teasing Kate, slipping lower to press into her and then pulling away before they could be sucked inside her body.

"The prince thrust his hips- just a little- to press into her even more." Rick's fingers mimicked the prince of his story, slipping inside Kate a little more with every caress. "And when the princess realized what he wanted from her, she sat back on his erection and took him all the way inside her body." Rick thrust a finger into Kate, as far as it would go and he continued pumping into her as he kept telling her his story.

"The prince moved then, pressing his princess onto her back and rising up over her to thrust into her body. He almost worried he was hurting her, until she wrapped her long legs around his waist and used them to urge him faster and deeper." Rick slipped a second finger into Kate's body and began stroking her faster. His other hand continued fondling her breasts, moving from one to the other to touch and pinch and squeeze. His tongue flicked out to touch her ear and she was soon gasping. But Rick realized she was gasping as quietly as she could so she would be able to hear the rest of his naughty story. So he had to continue.

"The prince slammed into her, spurred on by her moans of ecstasy and he knew he'd never experienced pleasure as great as he had with his princess. So he began whispering love words to her, telling her all that he felt."

Rick pressed his lips to Kate's ear and when he spoke, he was no longer telling a story. He was speaking to Kate, his lips brushing her ear as he did. "You feel so good, Katie. Your body is so hot and so tight. I love how it feels to be buried deep inside you. I want to make you come for me, Katie. I want you to come screaming my name. I want to make you feel as good as you make me feel, because I've never been with someone who turns me on as much as you do."

He knew he probably wasn't being as eloquent as he was usually capable of, but his creative power was more focused on how to make Kate feel good than on coming up with a fancy speech now. He had no idea whether or not she liked to be called 'Katie' either, but his story had been about a princess, and it just fit. And her name was the sweetest endearment he could think to call her at the moment.

Kate put her hand up to Rick's face and turned him to kiss her. His story was enough to make her burn and though his hands on her body felt amazing, she needed that kiss, too. She wanted to see if she could steal his breath as thoroughly as he'd taken hers. She thrust her tongue into his mouth and tried to tell him through her kiss how good he was making her feel.

But he broke away and left her panting as he continued mumbling to her, though Kate noted with satisfaction there was little breath behind the sound. "I want you to come for me, Katie, I want to make you moan."

Kate obliged by finally letting out some of the sounds she'd been suppressing.

Rick gently bit her ear and said, "Louder."

So she stopped trying to control her noises at all and let them all come pouring out of her; the moans, the gasps of pleasure and the whimpered cries of "Ricky."

He groaned in response and kept talking. "I love every sexy sound you make. Every time you say my name, it makes me ache to be buried inside you, pumping into your tight, hot body. It felt so good to feel you come on me, to feel your body milking me until I spilled inside of you. It was so good, and I want to make you feel good now. Will you come for me, Katie?" Her head nodded erratically and Rick asked, "Are you close?" When she nodded again, Rick groaned in satisfaction. "Come for me, Katie, screaming my name. I love hearing you say my name, especially in those sexy whimpers of yours. Say my name, Katie, when you come for me."

"Castle, Rick, Ricky, Richard," she began murmuring erratically, using all his different names to make sure she covered all her bases. "I'm close Ricky."

"Kate," he gasped, unable to say anything more. At the same moment he pinched the tip of her breast, he began thrusting his fingers in and out of her faster.

"Rick, I'm gonna come," she gasped breathlessly. And then, taking a deep breath, she let it out with the scream, "Rick!" Her whole body convulsed, her hips bucking wildly into his hand and she began panting, high pitched little noises of pleasure. Tremors shook her body and Rick continued thrusting his fingers into her, as long as he felt the waves of pleasure still coursing through her. Finally she stilled some and had to push Rick's hand away from her center, the intense pleasure becoming pain. Then she put her hand over his on her breast, stilling his fingers but keeping him cupping her. She turned her head again to kiss him, trying to convey through her kiss how good his touch felt on her body, and how boneless she felt now that he was done.


	5. Chapter 5

Kate pressed her hand over his where it cupped her breast, stilling his fingers but not releasing his touch. But Rick squeezed her breast anyway, unable to hide his unsatisfied need. And Kate finally noted his panting breath that didn't slow, the movement of his hips as he sought friction on his swollen erection. So Kate decided she _had_ to torture him a little...

She slipped out of his grasp, got under the covers and laid down on the pillows at least a foot away from him. Then she said, "Night Castle. And thanks. I needed that."

Rick's pained, incredulous expression almost made her laugh out loud, but he quickly composed his face, probably reminding himself that tonight was all about what _Kate_ needed.

When he slid down beside her in the big bed and looked like he had every intention of curling up with her and going to sleep, she finally did laugh. She turned to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her tongue danced with his for a long moment and it was enough to get her heart pounding again.

Castle drew her closer and Kate threw her leg over his hips, pulling his body into hers. Kate had honestly expected him to slam into her, to quickly take what he was already panting for, but Rick surprised her by slowing down.

Rick slowly pulled the tie of her robe and opened the lapels. He pushed the robe off her shoulder and slid down her body to take the exposed breast into his mouth. Then Rick finished undressing her, pulling the robe out from under her and tossing it to the floor. And when he was done, Kate rolled onto her back and pulled Rick on top of her. She bent her legs up to give him a cradle in which to rest his body as well as hold him tight. Rick leaned down to kiss her mouth- a slow, languid kiss though she could feel the hard length of his arousal pressed to her lower stomach.

Kate snaked her hand between their bodies and when she took his erection in her hand, Rick gasped, breaking their kiss to look down at her. They studied each other as she stroked him with her hand, then began using the tip of him to play with herself. She slid him over her swollen flesh, watching his face to see the pleasure marked there. As she held his gaze with her own, she pressed her feet down and lifted her hips, finally taking him inside her body. He came down on her then, slowly pressing into her and reveling in the feel of her tight body surrounding him once again. Kate's legs fell out, opening wider for him so he could press into her deeper and when he was buried to the hilt, her eyes fluttered closed in pleasure.

Rick slid his arms around her and for a long moment he held her tight as they both simply enjoyed the feel of their once again connected bodies. When Rick finally rose up and started moving over her, he slowly pulled out as far as he could go without actually leaving her body then pressed back into her again. He exaggerated his movements so each thrust was long and slow and deep. And Kate tilted her hips with him, enjoying the tenderness with which he moved now, after the rather rough sex they'd had before. And Kate realized she hadn't really gotten to touch Rick yet. At least, she hadn't taken the time to enjoy him.

So Kate began to touch him, beginning at his chest and sliding up, over his shoulders then down his arms. She felt the movement of the muscles in his arms as he held himself up over her, how they bunched and flexed every time he slowly pressed into her. Kate dug her fingertips into his skin, reveling in the hard strength there.

Rick lowered himself to his elbows as her hands traveled back up to his shoulders, and his thrusts grew shorter, though just as deep and slow. And Kate's hands moved over his back then, studying the play of muscle just under the smooth, hot skin. She felt the contours of his back, how his shoulders were wide and powerful, how his ribs tapered and his waist was hard and slim. She slipped her hands lower and noted his backside curved deliciously outward in a very squeezable round mass. So Kate squeezed hard and used her grip to pull his hips forward, into hers.

Rick gasped with the rough impact, but pulled out of her again as slowly as before. Kate smiled and let him continue his slow, torturous pace, her hands continuing their exploration of his body. She reached as low as she could, her hands sliding down his rear end and onto his legs, but he kept moving out of reach with each thrust, so she finally moved back up his body, over his slim hips and began caressing his stomach. He was in surprisingly good shape for someone whose job required nothing more strenuous than sitting on your ass for hours at a time; he may not have a fully defined six-pack, but he was hard and flat and he had some lovely definition in his chest.

Kate's hands slid up his stomach to palm his chest, squeezing and digging her fingertips into the hard muscle again. When she finally opened her eyes and looked up at his face, she found Rick watching her intently. Kate could see that he was enjoying her hands on his body as much as she was.

Rick smirked a little and asked, a bit smugly, "Like what you see, Detective?"

Kate simply grinned in response and flexed her fingertips, dragging her nails across his chest and his flat, male nipples. She felt a purely feminine satisfaction when he gasped quietly and his next thrust came a little harder than those previous. And then she wondered what it would take to make him lose control?

She must have smiled wickedly or _something_ because Rick saw a look on her face that clearly set him on edge. "Whatever you're thinking," he said, a bit nervously. "I don't like it."

Kate widened her eyes to stare innocently up at him then asked facetiously, "You don't like this?" She moved her legs to wrap around his waist, locking her ankles over his back. "You don't like _this_?" She repeated as her nails gently scraped over his chest again. She left one hand on his chest to play with him, while the other hand slid up around his neck and pushed into his hair. "Or this?" she added breathlessly as she clutched his head and pulled him down for a kiss. Her tongue invaded his mouth to explore the warmth there and in response, Rick's hips began moving just a little bit faster.

Kate pulled back and sucked his lower lip into her mouth, holding it between her teeth before letting it go. And then her tongue darted out to lick at his lips. She began kissing across his face, first the corner of his mouth, his cheek, his jawbone, guiding his head lower as she went.

When his mouth was right beside her ear, he said, "I _love_ the way your mind works."

Even though he couldn't see her face, Kate smiled wickedly and took his earlobe between her teeth. Kate sucked and bit and kissed his ear until he was panting, his hips moving faster as he thrust into her. And Kate moved her hips with him, meeting each thrust with one of her own.

Soon, Kate had to catch her breath. She removed her mouth from his skin but kept her lips close to his ear as she gasped for air. And she thought of something to say. Rick had done all that talking for her, describing in great detail all the things he enjoyed about her, so Kate felt the desire suddenly to give him some words of her own.

Her voice low, she turned her mouth to his ear as she said, "You made me feel so good tonight, Ricky. I want to make you feel good, too."

"I do," he gasped and added, "You feel so good, Katie."

Just then he thrust into her body hard, hitting a spot that had Kate whimpering in pleasure. She caught her breath again and said, "I want you to come for me, Rick. I want to hear you say _my_ name."

Rick began mumbling her name, "Kate, Katie... Katherine Isabella..."

She was surprised that he knew her middle name, but attributed the knowledge to his annoying habit of snooping through her stuff when he thought she wasn't looking. But she didn't care about that right now.

Hearing her name on his lips, she wanted to keep talking, to tell him things she'd never told him before, things even she herself only acknowledged on her loneliest nights in moments of weakness. "I've always imagined doing this with you and I always knew it would be good, but this-" she cried out as he began slamming into her. But she _had_ to keep talking. "You feel so much better than I ever imagined. You're so big and you fill me so completely. We fit together so perfectly- I never expected that. I never imagined you'd feel so good. I want this- I want _you_... I never want this to end." She hesitated over that last admission, but after everything they had done tonight, everything she still wanted to do, it seemed safe to assume this was more than just a one-night stand. But they hadn't really talked about that yet, and she didn't want to push the issue _right now_ so, she continued babbling to cover her little slip. "I want to cuff you to my bed and only let you free when you promise to come for me."

Rick kissed her shoulder and said, "I'll come for you, Katie. Whenever you want me. As long as you want me." He kept pressing kisses along her shoulder, up her neck and back down again. "Oh Katie," he gasped, his hips picking up to a frantic pace as she moved her body with his, meeting each desperate thrust. He kept murmuring her name and never stopped, even as she took up chanting his name too.

All powers of speech disintegrated then and they both began moaning, crying out and whimpering in pleasure. The tension inside each of them was a bowstring poised on the edge of release and when Rick's thrusts grew harder, they both groaned.

"I'm coming, Katie," Rick said between moans of pleasure. "I love you, Kate"

Kate's eyes went wide, but before she could think to say anything- before she could even think how that last admission made her feel- Rick's mouth was crashing down on her own and her body was breaking beneath him and she was moaning her release into his mouth.

Kate wrapped her arms around him pulling his body down on top of her, squeezing her legs around his waist and pulling his harness inside of her as far as he would go.

They lay together, panting, trying to catch their breath, and again just reveled in their intimate connection. Kate was stunned- surprised and confused- but she never wanted to let him leave her body, even as she felt him gradually growing soft inside of her. Her feet fell back to the bed, but she held him tight with her arms and tangled her legs around his thighs. She could feel his breath on her neck, the soft kisses he sometimes pressed to her skin and she closed her eyes to concentrate all her focus on her sense of touch alone. Rick's big body was so heavy on hers, and growing heavier, but she kept him there, in the cradle of her legs until she sighed, knowing they'd have to move sometime.

Almost as if he'd understood her thoughts, like they were thinking on the same brain frequency, just as they always seemed to be at work, Rick sighed also, pulling away and finally slipping free of her warmth.

Rick rolled off of her, onto the bed and pulled her with him, guiding her head to lie on his chest. Kate threw her arm and leg over his body and closed her eyes in a concentrated effort not to think about... _anything_. She'd think in the morning, Kate decided...

She was almost asleep when Rick kissed the top of her head and began playing with her hair. Kate sighed deeply, completely sated- for the moment- and nuzzled her head into Rick's chest, getting more comfortable even as her body told her she'd have to get up soon.

Eventually, she pulled away and stretched languidly. She reached up to kiss Rick's mouth and when she pulled away, Kate said pointedly, "I gotta go... I'll be right back."

Rick smiled sleepily and nodded, but said nothing as he watched her slip out of bed and make her way- naked - to her bathroom. He didn't think he'd _ever_ get tired of seeing her naked body.

Kate closed the door behind her and turned to look at herself in the mirror. She looked sleepy, but in a good way, and her hair was a riotous mass of untamed curls around her head. Her body looked pale and smooth like normal, but she still felt warm all over. Her lips _did_ look a bit swollen, but that and the tangled hair seemed to be the extent of the damage.

Kate quickly did what she had to do then reminded herself she still needed to brush her teeth and take her pill... Finally, her mouth was clean, her cup of water ready, and the pill was in her hand, but she hesitated.

This case involving her old friend had been making Kate think a lot lately. She wasn't getting any younger and she'd always wanted a family of her own... but it didn't look like it that was going to happen anytime soon, not the traditional way at least. She'd always wanted to have kids... _someday._ But why couldn't that day be sometime soon? She didn't need a man to help her, she just needed a donor... And she and Castle had had unprotected sex several times tonight. Though they had experienced some togetherness, they weren't actually _together_ and she had no idea how Rick felt about being a father again. But maybe she didn't want that from him, though she knew he was a _wonderful_ father. They weren't ready for that, regardless, though Kate herself still considered the idea of having a baby on her own...

Kate studied her body in the mirror and wondered what she'd look like, ripe with Castle's child- or _any_ man's child, she quickly added, still trying to convince herself she just wanted the baby, not the man.

Before she could spend too long thinking and make a stupid choice she'd regret later, Kate threw the pill into her mouth and downed the cup of water. She still had plenty of time to think this thing through and she wasn't going to intentionally take something from Castle she wasn't sure he wanted to give.

But Kate turned back to the mirror and ran a hand over her stomach, fantasizing. Maybe... Soon...

The sudden knock on the door made her gasp and jump, her heart pounding. "Come in, Castle," she called, quickly recovering herself.

The door swung open and he sauntered in, moving behind her to wrap his arms around her waist as he smiled at her in the mirror. "So you're a bathroom hog," he teased. "Good to know."

"I was brushing my teeth," she defended herself, sounding annoyed though she returned his smile.

"For twenty minutes?"

"It hasn't been twenty minutes!"

"Fine, fine," he ceded, bending his head to press his lips to her shoulder. "You wouldn't happen to have a toothbrush I could use, do you?"

"I do, actually." She retrieved the brand new toothbrush for him, and then turned to watch him as he brushed his teeth. Kate just studied his profile, watching while Rick quickly became self conscious.

He tried to ignore the feeling, but he eventually had to ask, with a mouth full of toothpaste, "Wha'?"

She wanted to ask him about what she'd just been considering, but found she couldn't. They weren't ready, even if she _was_ just going to ask him to donate... genetic material... And what if he said no? Or worse, laughed at her, assuming she was making a joke? Instead, she smiled and said, a little begrudgingly, "You really _are_ ruggedly handsome."

Rick grinned around the toothbrush sticking out of his mouth and turned to face her. But Kate didn't let him reply. She smiled in return and stepped close to him. She stood up on her toes- even if she didn't really need to- and kissed his jaw, but before she could move away and leave the bathroom, Castle's hands on her waist stopped her.

"Do tha' again," he said around the toothbrush.

Kate glanced up at him in confusion, but he wasn't looking at her. He was staring at the reflection of her backside in the mirror. So she leaned up again, slower this time, to kiss his cheek.

"Sexy," he mumbled, sliding his hands around to put them on her little round backside as he watched it in the mirror.

Kate smiled. It pleased her to know Richard Castle found her sexy- even if she usually feigned annoyance when he pointed it out. She moved out of his grasp then and left the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

When Castle emerged Kate was lying on one side of the bed, facing the other. Rick slipped between the covers, moving close to her. He might have hesitated, unsure about Kate's preferences on cuddling, but she was already moving toward him. When he was settled on his back, Kate nestled her head on his shoulder and draped an arm and a leg across his body again.

With her ear pressed to his chest, Kate clearly heard the contented sigh he breathed before pressing a kiss to her hair. "Good night, Katie," he mumbled.

"Mm," she murmured in reply, her eyes sliding closed contentedly. She considered for a moment how she felt about Rick calling her Katie. He said it altogether _too_ affectionately and there were very few people in her life she allowed to use the moniker. But it sounded so sweet on his lips, she didn't think she'd complain for now. But as she pondered names, she remembered and wondered aloud, "You know my middle name."

Rick smiled but had the decency to sound bashful when he admitted, "I snooped."

"But it's not anywhere on my desk. Or even in my purse- when I actually have one, anyway."

He sounded hesitant when he said, "But it _is_ in your personnel file."

Kate's first impulse was to get mad, maybe to shout at him for a while, but she felt so tired and sated, she couldn't seem to work up the energy. She made a deep sigh and knew she'd regret asking, "You looked through my personnel file?"

"It was all in the name of research!" he defended himself.

Kate just took a deep, calming breath and when she knew she wasn't going to explode, she shook her head. "You are in big trouble, Mr. Castle," she promised sleepily, her tone sounding as tired as she felt.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied dejectedly, sounding entirely too cute in Kate's opinion.

Kate actually smiled, settling in to rest instead of berating Castle. It was kind of sweet- in a totally annoying and invasive way- that Rick was interested enough in her life that he went behind her back to find things out about her that she was unwilling to simply tell him. She wasn't really sure why she refused to tell him such trivial things as her middle name, or where she went to college, but she was so used to keeping her private life private that she just didn't want to tell him. Maybe she'd start to share a little more with Castle... She fell asleep to the soothing sound of his breathing and the steady drum of his heart beat.

**A/N: I made up Kate's middle name. I have no idea if it was ever mentioned in the show- though I don't think so- so I took some creative license. I just thought Katherine Isabella had a poetical flow to it, was kind of a pretty name. I'm a name-nerd; I really like interesting names. (Hence the pen name Johnny Devlyn, even though I'm a woman.) What are some your favorite names?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I know it has been a while since I updated this story, and unfortunately, it might be a while before I update again. It took me a while to figure out where this is going and I think I have decided, but I still have to work it out and write it down. I like to think about things- a LOT- before I finally write them down. And I've decided to go in a direction that many may not like, according to past reviews. So, if you want to stop following this- or not **_**start**_** following this if you are a first time reader- I will not be offended. And I will try to let you know when it is finally complete. I just had this chapter lying around for a while now, and it was nagging me to be posted, so I finally just posted it to get it to shut up. :-D Just remember that I started this story mid-season three, so the finale never happened- but I did see it, so it gets referenced in an odd, abstract way… **

**Last Time, On "Your Love"… there were five chapters worth of smut… Kate used Rick for his body. A **_**lot**_**. Kate reminisced about a friend who had thrown her life away to dwell on tragedy and hate and ended up murdering her own mother in retribution for past hurts. Kate considers what she has thrown away, dwelling on her own tragedies and begins to contemplate a new life. (Was any of that actually helpful?) And now…**

In her dreams, Kate watched helplessly as her best friend stabbed her own mother, then Kate's mother. And then she came after Kate herself, blood dripping from the knife, splashed on her face and staining her clothes. When Kate tried to move, her feet were so _slow_ like they could only be in dreams, she knew her former friend and future murderer was going to overtake her soon. And Kate would be shown no mercy, just like Amanda had been shown no mercy during her entire harsh childhood.

"I didn't know," Kate pleaded, sobbing, trying to explain to the woman she had once considered better than a sister. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

When Kate felt the sudden, strong feeling that she was falling backward, she awoke with a gasp. Castle was leaning over her, his hand on her shoulder; he had obviously just pushed her onto her back, hence the falling sensation she had experienced in her sleep.

"Kate, are you okay?" He asked in concern, leaning over her, his body pressed along her side.

"I _was_ sleeping," she grumped. Kate was too embarrassed, too self-conscious to admit to a nightmare; she did not want Castle thinking of her as a child or some silly female, prone to bad dreams.

"Sorry, but you woke me up _first_," he grumped right back, knowing that she did not want to be coddled at the moment. But he had to tell the truth. "You were twitching in your sleep, shaking your head 'no.' You were crying..."

"It was just a bad dream, Castle," she said dismissively, brushing away the moisture her silent, dream tears had left on her face and hoping he would drop the subject now. "Sorry for waking you," she added quietly.

"Was it about your friend?" he asked gently.

"I don't remember," Kate said and had to remind herself not to snap at him or get angry; he was just concerned because he cared for her. How could Kate get angry for that?

"Yes you do. It _just_ happened," he countered, knowing she was lying because she was embarrassed. More gently, he added, "You can talk to me about it if you want."

Kate sighed. Though she really did appreciate his efforts to comfort her and his willingness to be there for her, without judgments, Kate really did not want to let him know how silly she was that she had let such a stupid slasher-movie-like dream affect her. "I don't want to talk about it. Please respect that."

Rick nodded though Kate could tell it was difficult for him to let it go. "Okay, Sweetheart," he mumbled, before he rolled to his back, pulling Kate with him and settling her against his chest once again. He did not want to sound patronizing, but Rick wanted to tell her something, wanted to make her feel better and let her know he understood. So, hesitantly, he said, "I have these bad dreams... all the time actually, where something happens to Alexis..." He had to swallow hard to recover from _that_ admission, but he continued on. "Or to my mother... I have this one, particularly vivid nightmare where you... you get shot- right in the chest. While I can only watch... I mean, most of the time, I can see where the shooter is and I know it's coming, but it happens so fast, I can't-" Rick cleared his throat in order to keep talking. "I can't save you. And then I can only watch as you bleed out on the grass. I have just enough time to tell you... to tell you something before your eyes close. And I always wake up not knowing whether you lived or died. And the dream is so vivid, so life-like that I always want to call you, just to make sure... just to hear your voice, even if you _do_ laugh at me, or yell at me. But it's always really late at night and I have to just try to go back to sleep... not knowing... until I see you again..."

Kate wrapped an arm across his stomach in a silent gesture of comfort and commiseration; she had had similar dreams as well, only it was Castle who was dying in her dreams and Kate who could do nothing about it. She had wanted to call him each time too, but never let herself do it. "What do you tell me?" she asked quietly. When she glanced up briefly at his face and saw his confusion, she clarified. "You said you always tell me something before my eyes close. I was just wondering what it is that you tell me."

_I love you, Kate. Kate, I love you._

Castle's hand paused where he had been stroking his fingers up and down her arm and he was quiet just long enough that Kate knew he was lying when he claimed, "I don't remember." He fake-laughed. "I mean, who remembers their dreams anyway?"

Kate knew he was making pointed comments, remarking on her refusal to share her own dreams, so after a long, silent pause, she admitted, "I dreamed that she stabbed her mother, a woman I did love once. Then her mother morphed into _my_ mother and I screamed, but that only turned her attention on me and she came at me with the knife dripping in our mothers' blood. I tried to run, but I couldn't move very fast and I knew she'd catch up with me soon, her with her knife. But then you woke me up." Kate turned her head and pressed a kiss against his bare chest. "Thank you."

"Maybe I should sleep beside you every night," he offered in the tone of someone making a grand, selfless gesture. "Just so I can wake you up if you have another bad dream, of course."

Kate laughed softly. "That's so noble of you, Castle. But I wouldn't want you to lose any sleep on my account."

"Oh, that's okay, I don't mind," he assured her. "I'm always willing to help a... Friend..." He had been teasing until that last word, and then he had to wonder what he and Kate were to each other now?

Obviously Kate was thinking the same thing because she teasingly challenged, "Friend? Is that all I am to you, Ricky?"

Did it sound to him like she wanted to be more? With a happy smile, he suggested, "Partner? Shadowee? I know I'm risking the breaking of my legs here, but you _are_ my... muse?" He flinched as if expecting violence, but when none came, even after a long, tense pause, he relaxed again and continued happily. "My nighttime inspiration. The woman of my dreams. And now my... lover."

"_Ew_," Kate groaned in disgust, turned closer to Castle and buried her face in the curve of his neck. "I've always hated that word."

"What? Muse?" He was confused; the only word she had ever taken umbrage to before was 'muse.'

"No, lover." She shuddered in disgust. "It's so uncomfortable, it makes me cringe."

Castle chuckled. "What's wrong with-"

Kate quickly put her hand over Castle's mouth, preventing him from saying it again. "I don't know, I just hate that word." She thought for a moment then corrected herself. "No, I think it was the movie, _Dirty Dancing_. Did you see it?

"Of course!"

"Do you remember that creepy older woman who was sleeping with Johnny before Baby showed up?" Rick nodded so Kate continued, "There was one scene where she was coming on to him and she called him 'lover,' and the woman just skeeved me out so much, I've never been able to hear that word without cringing."

Rick chuckled but acquiesced, "Okay, I won't use that word anymore."

"Otherwise, it was an amazing movie though. To this day, it's still one of my favorites."

"Mine too," Castle admitted, though he knew he was probably revealing too much.

Sighing, Kate mumbled the name, "Johnny..." Suddenly, she froze, her body tensing in surprise. She looked up at Rick and breathed, "Johnny _Castle_."

Castle chuckled. "What a crazy random happenstance!"

Kate glared at him, noting the tightness of his features indicating that he was hiding something. "Did you name yourself after Patrick Swayze?" Kate demanded.

"Well, my name is neither Patrick nor Swayze, so... no," He equivocated.

"You know what I meant!" Kate snapped. Then she accused, "You named yourself after Patrick Swayze's character Johnny Castle, didn't you?"

Rick sighed and finally just admitted, "Well, after choosing _Edgar_ as my middle name, I had to pick _something_ to counterbalance the uncool!"

"But I thought you _loved_ Poe?"

"I do! But that doesn't change the fact that he was Creepy Poetry Guy. Let me tell you, not many women find that sexy and the ones that do, usually scare even me. On the other hand, Patrick Swayze as Johnny Castle, _still_ makes women swoon, may he rest in sexy peace."

Kate laughed then joked, "Sexy peace? Is that any different than regular peace?"

"Of course," he retorted as if Kate were the silly one. "There's regular peace, such as what average looking people get and then there's sexy peace, what those of us blessed with above average sexiness get when we die."

Though she knew she was risking sounding like an insecure female, Kate still laughed and then asked, "Which one will I get?" Luckily, there was more sexy bravado in her tone than insecurity so Castle knew she was only teasing.

So he teased right back. "Hmm... I may need to take another look at your naked body to be sure which one you deserve. As it is, you could go either way." After a pause and a sharp sting at his ribs, Rick cried, "Ow!" then stopped Kate's hand before she could pinch him again. When he laughed, Kate began to move out of his embrace, which started Rick to stuttering. "I'm sorry... I'm just kidding! Come back! I didn't mean-"

But if Castle was going to tease, Kate was not about to back down. She moved away from him, leaving him to worry that he had actually offended her. When she was out of reach, Kate stood up on her bed, letting the covers fall away from her body as she rose. She turned to look down at where Castle had frozen, staring up at her. With one foot- and balancing _very_ carefully- Kate pushed on one of his shoulders and guided him back against the mountain of pillows he had built. Then she stepped over him, standing with one foot on either side of his hips. Gesturing vaguely at her own body with both hands, she waited for his verdict.

Rick slowly rose, staring up at her bare body without blinking. He put his hands at her ankles and slid them toward her thighs as he sat up again. When his head was bent so far back it nearly touched his spine, his eyes locked on her face (mostly) he murmured, "You are a goddess." His hands slid up to grasp her hips- which were _right_ in front of his face, thank you very much!- as he added, "And I, your lowly servant, would love nothing better than to spend the rest of the night extolling the beauty of your naked body." Finally he pressed an open mouthed kiss just inside her hip bone. His tongue came out to taste her warm skin and they both groaned.

She sank to her knees as his grasp slid up her torso, gliding around to stroke her back when Kate was finally perched on his thighs. She slipped her arms around his neck, her fingers burying in his hair and she let a small smile curve up the corners of her lips. "Just so we're clear," she finally said, letting him know she was appeased by his placating.

Rick's laugh was low and husky when his hands tangled into her hair. He took a gentle fistful to tilt her head back, and while plying her neck with kisses, murmured, "My very own Artemis, goddess of the hunt."

Kate gasped when he nibbled at her earlobe, but argued, "Wasn't she a virgin goddess?" She felt his mouth stretch into a smile against her skin before sucking softly at her pulse point.

Kate's mind was just as sexy as her body and Castle found it oddly erotic that she had studied the Greek gods and goddesses well enough to know which ones were virgins. "My Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty," he amended with a sly tone.

Kate laughed breathlessly and countered, "How about Nike, goddess of Victory? Or Dike, goddess of Justice?"

"Hmm..." he murmured, and though he found no fault with those, really, he decided upon a more appropriate choice- for _him_. "Calliope."

Kate paused for a moment, trying to recall what Calliope represented, but Castle was now kissing his way down her sternum and within seconds she knew he was going to deviate from his current path to make his way over to one of her breasts. Kate idly wondered which would be the lucky one to receive his attentions first, but before he could distract her completely, Kate found the presence of mind to ask, "What goddess was she?"

Rick took his time to reply; instead, he moved his head to begin kissing up the gentle swell of her breast. "She wasn't exactly a goddess as much as a..." He traced the heavy bottom curve of her breast with the tip of his tongue and when Kate was distracted (he could tell by her gasps of pleasure) he concluded, "Muse."

Kate laughed breathlessly. She was arching back to give Castle better access to her chest, his hands at her waist to hold her up where he wanted her. Though he was currently attempting to memorize the shape of her with his tongue, Kate still managed to think and therefore say, "The muse of epic poetry. I can see why you would like that one. But the muses were still goddesses."

"Eeben bedder," he mumbled around her flesh, after finally taking her peak into his mouth.

Kate bent farther as her back arched, pushing her chest against Rick's mouth and he knew she wanted more attention paid there. His hands slid from her waist, across her flat stomach, hollowed by her contortions and up over her ribs. One hand slid further to cup and then tease her neglected breast, while the other moved to lift her more fully into his mouth. His hand held the swell of her while his tongue played with the peak, and the other hand mimicked whatever movements his tongue made.

Soon, Kate was moaning and shifting her hips over his lap, seeking friction where she desperately needed it most, but his lap was still covered by her blankets and the fluffy comforter was not nearly hard enough to afford _any_ satisfaction.

Rick knew by the insistent shifting of her hips what she wanted so instead of moving them just to get the blankets out of their way, he trailed a hand back down her body and immediately into her heat. His fingers slipped inside of her easily and his palm provided pressure that she could grind against as she continued to pump her hips.

It was all too much. She was going to burst soon and it would be amazing- she just _knew_ it- but poor Castle had no one to play with him. Kate rose up slowly, unbending her body over Castle's lap. She kissed him briefly before brushing both his hands away, and then placing her own on his shoulders when she stood up over him once again. With a firm grasp for balance, she used her feet to kick the covers out of her way. Kate was about to sink down on him again when she noticed his face. He was staring at her core with lust softened eyes. And he was licking his lips.

Instead of lowering to her knees again, Kate stepped forward, crowding her body right into Castle's face. And without hesitating, he leaned forward the scant inches to close the distance between them and kissed her center. While one hand moved to explore her thigh and buttock, the other came to separate her further so his tongue could find the most sensitive bit of her before slipping his fingers back inside of her body.

Kate's hands buried in his hair, clutching him both for balance and to press him harder against her core. She moaned for all the wonderful sensations and Castle groaned into her heat for knowing he was bringing her pleasure. But Kate noticed that she was experiencing bliss while Castle still had no one to play with him. So, as she gazed down at him, she watched and waited until he looked up at her eyes before she told him, "Touch yourself."

He broke away from her long enough to respond, "Only if you do too," before kissing and licking and sucking at her again.

The limited amount of sense she had left was confused for a moment before she noticed that Castle's gaze was locked on her breasts now, not her eyes. So with a sexy smile, she brought both hands up to her chest to touch herself and watched as Rick's eyes slid closed in ecstasy. His hand left off its exploration of her long legs and when he began stroking himself in time with his fingers thrusting into her, he opened his eyes again so he could watch it all happen. A single line appeared between his eyebrows as he briefly considered and a moment later, his fingers pulled out of her, leaving her body completely. Before Kate could complain however, he was pressing into her again, but with enough dry resistance that she knew he had switched hands. Which meant that he was now stroking himself with the hand wet from her arousal. Rick groaned in heartfelt appreciation and the vibration of his sounds broke her. She was gasping and moaning quite loudly when her body began to convulse around his fingers, but he kept up their movements until she was whimpering. Her legs were growing too weak to support her so she clutched at Castle's head to keep her upright. It did not last long however and soon she was falling. She fell to her knees and Rick was there to guide her onto his lap, directly onto his arousal. Kate gasped for the sudden invasion- much bigger than his fingers!- and her body shuddered hard around him. They had to hold completely still, had to wait for Kate's body to calm before Castle could trust himself to move without spilling right then.

Kate's arms wound around his shoulders, holding him close as they both adjusted to her tightness sheathed around him. Rick's hands stroked soothingly up and down her back as he waited for her to recover and the shudders of her body to slow. Unable to resist, his hands swept down and squeezed her backside, pulling her closer and pressing deeper inside of her. Her moan was rather loud in his ear but sent him clutching convulsively at her backside as he began kissing her neck.

Bringing her hands between them, Kate pushed, sending Rick sprawling back on her pillows. When he tried to sit up again, to continue kissing her, Kate planted her hands on his chest and used them for the leverage she needed to raise and lower her body over him. She moved slowly at first and then quicker as their breathing sped up and their hearts beat faster, straining toward their final destination. When she began rocking her hips in a manner she thought Rick might appreciate, he actually whimpered in protest.

"I'm going to … come too soon, you keep doing that," he told her and it sounded almost as though he were in pain.

She knew he just wanted to last longer, that the painful tone was just the desire to keep this up all night, but she wanted to make him lose control. She wanted to break him like his mouth had shattered her once already. So she kept up the rocking of her hips, exaggerating the move even more so she could watch in smug satisfaction when his eyes rolled back and his hands clutched hard at her hips. She fell down to him, to drink in his groans of pleasure as she kissed him, her hand slipping between their bodies to speed up her own climax. He was writhing erratically beneath her, but she kept rocking against him, so close but needing just one more…

Kate broke away from his kiss to cry out her release. When her body finally broke over him, she fell onto his chest, pressing a kiss to the spot just over his heart before laying her ear there to hear the thunderous roar of its slowly calming pace. The sound was vibrant and alive and she loved the fact that its quickened pace was her own doing. It nearly matched, beat for beat, the pace of her excited heart.

Kate turned and kissed his wrist when his hand came up to hold her head against his chest. Though she was on top, she felt completely caged by him, Rick's big body beneath her, one hand on her head, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She had never been able to abide tight holds- they made her think too much of grappling, of struggling to get away and break free. But this time, she clutched him back, harder even than he held her. She used her knees to hold his hips, her arms to press his chest against her cheek. She wanted to let him go. She wanted to get up, move away and pretend she had not felt safe and happy in his tight embrace, but she could not let him go. She felt those things she wanted to deny- even more than she could admit to- and as much as it terrified her, it felt too good to let go yet.

As if sensing her desperation, Rick's hold turned soft, his hands stroking. When she did not relax, he rolled them over, bracing himself over her to brush her hair away from her face and look down at her. Kate met his eyes and wanted to cry. Rick saw her uncertainty and smiled reassuringly. He leaned down to kiss her, pouring everything he could not say into the tender kiss. Kate loved him too, Rick just knew it, otherwise why would she look so scared right now? But it was a realization she would have to come to on her own and all he could do was kiss her like he never wanted to stop, and sleep beside her tonight and not push her for something she might not be ready for tomorrow. He would be there for her- like he had been for three years- and he would prove to her every day that he loved her until she was ready to admit to him and to herself that she loved him too. Rick knew she did- she would not be responding to his kiss, returning it and carding her fingers through his hair to hold him there if she did not.

A last brief kiss was pressed to the tip of her cute little nose and Rick was moving away. "Go back to sleep now, Kate. If you have any more bad dreams, I'll chase them away again with more sex."

"And it will be an onerous chore for you, I'm sure," she replied facetiously.

"A terrible burden," he agreed with a kiss to her neck. "But someone has to do it."

"I'm sure I could find someone else to help me out, if the task is too _hard_ for you."

"No, no. I'm your partner. It's my duty to look after you, even if I have to sacrifice my own body in order to keep you happy." Even as he teased her, he smiled and pressed another kiss to her body, this one over her sternum.

"So noble of you, Sir Castle."

"I live to serve," he concluded with a final kiss to her belly. Then he laid his head down where his lips had landed and settled in. "Now shut up and go to sleep Lady Kate."

_Like this?_ She wanted to retort but upon further consideration, she found it was surprisingly comfortable. Rick's body was stretched out between her legs, his head pillowed on her stomach and his arms on either side of her body. She wriggled for a moment, settling in and getting comfortable, and found that if she put one hand behind her head and the other on Castle's she could probably manage to fall asleep like this. With anyone else, she would have felt too restricted to be comfortable, but with Castle, it felt… well, it felt too good to analyze at the moment. She would worry about it in the morning. Right now, she relaxed, smiled when Castle hummed happily because her fingers had started softly petting his hair, and closed her eyes.


End file.
